Izvorni znanstveni članak
Gender-Specific Growth Patterns of Transversal Body Dimensions in Croatian Children and Youth (2 to 18 Years of Age)
Miroslav Živičnjak
Nina Smolej Narančić
Lajos Szirovicza
Doris Franke
Jasna Hrenović
Vesna Bišof
Željka Tomas
Tatjana Škarić-Jurić
Sažetak
In a cross-sectional study of growth, 5,260 healthy children of both sexes from Zagreb (Croatia) aged 2 to 18 years
were measured. Six transversal body dimensions were studied: biacromial, transverse chest, antero-posterior chest, biiliocristal,
bicondylar humerus and bicondylar femur diamters. A significant increase in body diameters has been observed
until the age of 14 to 15 in girls and until the age of 16 in boys, showing that girls have a 1 to 2 years shorter period of
growth. Compared to boys of the same age, they achieved larger amounts of final transversal bone size throughout the
whole growth period. The most pronounced example was the knee diameter that in girls attained 95% of adult size as
early as the age of 10. In both genders, the adult size is achieved earlier in widths of the extremities than in those of the
trunk. The studied transversal body segments showed different growth dynamics, which is gender-specific. While sexual
dimorphism in pelvic and shoulder diameters emerged with pubertal spurt, gender differences in chest and extremities’
diameters started early in life. In all ages, boys had larger chest, elbow and knee diameters. In pubertal age boys gained a
significantly larger biacromial diameter (from the age of 13 onwards), while girls exceeded them in biiliocristal diameter
(from 10 to 14 years). The findings of gender differences were compared to those reported for other European populations
and their growth patters were discussed comparing viewpoints.
Ključne riječi
children; growth patterns; gender; anthropometry; transversal dimensions; Croatia
Hrčak ID:
27207
URI
Datum izdavanja:
7.7.2008.
Posjeta: 1.451 *